©Mennonite Heritage Centre 2003
Last updated 18 May 2023

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives
Winnipeg, Manitoba

Title: Homewood Mennonite Church fonds
Dates: 1939-1999
Extent: 36 cm of textual records
Extent: 1 microfilm reel

Historical note

Mennonites first moved into the Homewood area in the 1920s. In 1933 David D. Klassen first visited the area, and in 1937 moved there to give leadership to these families. A Bergthaler congregation was begun in 1937 meeting in rented facilities. A meeting house was built in 1942. A larger meeting house was built in 1961. Klassen served the congregation until 1985, over 50 years since he first visited Homewood. The Bergthaler part of the congregation's name was dropped in 1969 to become the Homewood Mennonite Church. The congregation dissolved in 1999. Other leaders of the congregation were: Peter Giesbrecht (1947-1975), Edward Cornelsen (1967-1971), Henry Isaak (1972-1975, 1978, 1985, 1990), Egon Enns (1976-1977), Abe Hiebert (1979-1985), Peter Penner (1986-1989), Martin Sawatzky (1991-1999).

Scope and content note

This fonds contains a membership and family register (1939-1981), minutes of congregational meetings (1939-1999), church council meetings (1968-1998), annual reports (1967-1998), constitution (1974-1994), newsletters (1977), and other documents including a brief historical sketch ([196-]-[197-]). The records pertain to founding and development of the Bergthaler Mennonite congregation in Homewood.

Finding aids

Inventory file list available.

Notes

Language

Some German.

Restrictions on access

No restrictions on access.

Other notes

Some textual records were microfilmed in 1981. Textual records were deposited on a regular basis at the Mennonite Heritage Centre.  In 2023 Brian Wiebe brought in some minutes, photos, and blueprints (accession number 2023-025). Described by Bert Friesen 22 November 2001, updates by Conrad Stoesz May 18, 2023.

Homewood Bergthaler Mennonite Church fonds file list:

Volume 32

  1. Homewood Bergthaler Mennonite Church Open House programme (1962)
  2. Homewood Bergthaler Mennonite Church bulletins (1968)
  3. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1969)
  4. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1970), annual reports (1970)
  5. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1971)
  6. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1973)
  7. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1976)
  8. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1977)
  9. Homewood Mennonite Church annual reports (1968, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1978), membership list (1975, 1976, 1978)
  10. Homewood Mennonite Church newsletter (1977)

Volume 1608

  1. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1978)
  2. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1979), annual reports (1979), membership list (1979)
  3. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1980), congregational meeting minutes (1980)
  4. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1981)
  5. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1982)
  6. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1983)
  7. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1984)
  8. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1985), congregational meeting minutes (1985), church council meeting minutes (1985)
  9. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1986), church council meeting minutes (1986), congregational meeting minutes (1986)
  10. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1987), church council meeting minutes (1987), annual reports (1987), congregational annual meeting minutes (1986), membership list (1987)
  11. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1988), church council meeting minutes (1988), membership list (1988)

Volume 3925

  1. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1989), church council meeting minutes (1989)
  2. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1990), church council meeting minutes (1990)
  3. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1991), church council meeting minutes (1991), annual reports (1991), congregational annual meeting minutes (1991), membership list (1991)
  4. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1992), church council meeting minutes (1992), annual reports (1992), congregational annual meeting minutes (1992), membership list (1992)
  5. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1993), church council meeting minutes (1993), annual reports (1993), congregational annual meeting minutes (1993), membership list (1993)
  6. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1994), church council meeting minutes (1994), annual reports (1994), congregational annual meeting minutes (1994), congregational constitution (1994), membership list (1994)
  7. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1995), church council meeting minutes (1995), annual reports (1995), congregational annual meeting minutes (1995), membership list (1995), directory (1995)
  8. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1996), church council meeting minutes (1996), annual reports (1996), congregational annual meeting minutes (1996), membership list (1996), directory (1996)

Volume 4613

  1. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1997), church council meeting minutes (1997), annual reports (1997), congregational annual meeting minutes (1997), membership list (1997)
  2. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1998), church council meeting minutes (1998), annual reports (1998), congregational annual meeting minutes (1998), membership list (1998)
  3. Homewood Mennonite Church bulletins (1999), congregational annual meeting minutes (1999)
  4. Homewood Mennonite Church Ladies group minutes and finances. -- 1977-1985.
  5. Homewood Mennonite Church Annual Reports. -- 1997-1998.
  6. Homewood Mennonite Church council minutes. -- 1995-2000 (scattered).
  7. Covenant and By-Laws of the Homewood Mennonite Church. -- 1994.
  8. Homewood reflections by [Abe Hiebert?]. -- 1998.
  9. Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba reports and resources. -- 1997-1998.  Includes Report of the Review Committe of the Conference of Mennonites in Manitoba, Response from Faith and Life Communications Commission to Review Committee Report, and Addressing God by Name/ Helmut Harder.
  10.  Broad Valley Cemetery map. -- [198-?].
  11. Highlights of the early hisory of the Carman Mennonite Church by [Ed Klassen?]. -- 2007.
  12. Homewood Mennonite Church cairn dedication. -- 2008.
1377. Blueprints of Homewood Mennonite Church , 3 leaves. -- 1961

Photo collection 752
eight photos mostly related to the cairn dedication in 2008.

Microfilm

Microfilm No. 276 (MHC Project No. 90)

  1. Church Register
  2. Minutes
    1. Congregational Meetings, 1939-1944, 1950-1961, 1966-1975, 1980.
    2. Church Council Meetings, 1968-1981.
  3. Annual Reports, 1967-1981.
  4. Covenant and by-laws, 1974, 1978.
  5. Homewood Local Forum, 1977 (June, December) – discontinued 1980?
  6. Miscellaneous
    1. D.D. Klassen Report, February 10, 1964.
    2. Historical Sketch, [1970?].
    3. Poem in Honor of the Ministers, 1968.
    4. Pamphlet: Programme for Open House, 1962.